


Clash x of x Worlds

by SSJeanne35



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Battle, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Duelling, Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27538459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSJeanne35/pseuds/SSJeanne35
Summary: An unknown timeline has appeared within Akasha's domain, nearly becoming a Lostbelt. The Void takes interest, and decides to play with fate a little. Thanks to Her interference, this unknown Lostbelt and Proper Human History cross paths and people of different worlds meet and collide. From kings, to commoners, to swordsmen and assassins, these warriors test their mettle in their first- and last- encounter of their lives. (7-part story, at least)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Clash x of x Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> Not going to lie, I'm a new one to this site.
> 
> This is SSJeanne35, a regular irregular writer. I posted all of my stories onto FF.net, until now. This whole new format will take some getting used to, and I have to still work out the kinks.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this, though. It'll be seven parts (maybe more), with each part telling of a new match up. HxH and Fate/Nasuverse are my two most favorite franchises, so I hope I conveyed it here.
> 
> I have about half the story done on FF.net, and I'll be posting them here once a week, and hopefully finish both sides at the same time by then. Enjoy.

Chapter I- _Clash x of x Kings._

"Ah...this is...very peculiar."

A brown-haired woman in a white kimono watched from a void far above humanity. All around her was an equal blankness, like the sheet of a canvas. Through a small hole in reality below her, she watched the lower realm quake with uncertainty.

She tilted her head. It was very peculiar. "This timeline...very strange…"

She reached out her hand to poke it, being careful not to activate her eyes. If she did, she could potentially erase an entire universe with just a touch.

"I believe that the mortals call them Lostbelts, Akasha."

She turned to see another girl, with long, flowing blonde hair and red eyes. Her gold-trimmed white dress and pale skin immediately made her think of royalty.

"Yes, Earth." The brunette smiled quaintly. "I know what those are. I believe those Chaldeans are travelling through a couple as we speak. What a rowdy bunch. They're fun to watch, but it's not the problem I'm focusing on."

She pointed to a certain pruned timeline, a world that broke away from Proper Human History long ago, and evolved a system that's _far_ too different from the Thaumaturgy of the modern-day.

Quite frankly, Akasha should have wiped it all away with one stroke of her hand, it was her job to do, after all, to avoid Heat Death. But there was something about that world that interested her, which was rare for an omnipotent being such as herself.

Her interest hit its peak when the Lostbelt began to fray without any of her interference. It was a scenario that wasn't supposed to play out, in a timeline that wasn't supposed to play out. "A Lostbelt of a Lostbelt, if one could say." Akasha explained.

"So what do you plan to do?" Earth spoke, her voice seeming mostly indifferent, even as she gazed into the Lostbelt to see what in the world Akasha was speaking of. _Oh...I see..._ In that millisecond, Archetype:Earth learned everything there was to know about that world, and why it seemed so unstable now. _That man's bomb never had any poison, huh?_

Earth silenced her concern, knowing the Void already knew this, and instead said: "You could snap your fingers and it would all vanish. Or…"

"...Or I could have some fun." Akasha closed her eyes, as if trying to search for something within her boundless mind. "Unlike the worlds your body is more familiar with, which only deal in Dead Apostles, the worlds on the other side deal in the summoning of Heroes throughout Human History."

"I see." Earth blinked. "Are you trying to pit two pawns against each other, Akasha?"

"Perhaps." She opened her eyes and palm simultaneously. A golden card floated above her fingertips, with a depiction of an archer with their bow nocked. "Omnipotence bores me. Shaking things up once in a while will keep me interested in these worlds."

The blonde Goddess raised a brow. "But what does it matter if we already know the outcome?"

Akasha rolled her eyes. "It's not about the destination, Archetype:Earth. My two other personalities know this _all_ too well. All things in the world end. Everything, eventually, will return to genesis, no matter how powerful or immortal one may seem. Death comes for everything...except me, of course. Rather...interest lies in the journey. And _that_ is what I want to see."

Akasha let the card fly freely, and it floated towards the timeline before vanishing into thin air, its code sent to the Counter Force for release.

"...And what if your gamble loses?"

Akasha laughed. "Then it seems those Chaldeans will have a mess to clean up. I'd find that fun as well."

* * *

It was a mere hour since the invasion of the Ant Nest began. The Republic of East Gorteau had fallen, and the Hunters planned to take it back in the name of humanity itself.

Of course, nothing quite goes to plan.

A few people watched as a faint light came over the distant horizon, where one of the greatest Hunters of all time, and the King clashed. Instantly, two of his Royal Guards sprung into action, in a seemingly vain attempt to save him.

Meanwhile, the third, and oldest of the Royal Guards found themselves faced with a child scorned, in a place far from the Capital.

It was at this very second that the light came down from above. Less than an hour after Netero's Rose Bomb detonated, as the humans in East Gorteau's capital were licking their wounds, as Shaiapouf flashed towards the Capital to try and get rid of the one thing that would keep their King from his full potential-

A lightning bolt crashed, the entire world taking notice.

Nen is life force, and thus all living beings release it. But this light was different. It gave off an energy that had not been felt in that world for possibly eons, a reason that probably allowed the Lostbelt to take root in the first place.

For the first time in eternity, Mana crashed into the King's lair.

Killua froze as he watched the thunder fall. Aside from a few clouds, the night sky was clear, stars twinkling and dancing in the moonlight. Now, a new light had drowned them all away.

Shaiapouf froze as well, not necessarily from the spectacle, but from the sheer _pressure_ that was radiating off of the lightning. It was _massive_ , like the King's malicious En was borrowing down on all directions onto him...but it wasn't En. It was an entirely different energy.

 _What?!_ He shouted, his composure breaking as he grit his teeth. For the second time tonight, it seemed his plan to retrieve the girl was being slowed down, or…

... _Maybe not._ He looked down at the boy carrying that dastardly woman. He was distracted, too busy staring at the light like a moth to a flame. _Perfect! This isn't a hindrance, this is my chance!_

His body twitched towards the boy's direction-

" _Who gave you permission to look away from my presence?"_

A voice with the same authority as the King's rattled his brain. Then, his body.

For the first time in his life, Shaiapouf felt blood seep out of his skin, and from his mouth. He was too in shock to even realize what had happened, his mind so fixated on that girl that it was hard for him to pull his mind back to reality.

But it was clear as day. He, a member of the Royal Guard, had been injured.

Killua watched in horror as the sounds of flesh tearing, and Shaiapouf _screaming,_ echoed through the vast wasteland of East Gorteau. It didn't take long for the others to also notice from below- as they licked their wounds, they too took heed of Pouf getting torn alive.

Swords, lances, axes, polearms, maces, all of various shapes and sizes, flew towards Pouf in all directions, at speeds that even Killua was having a hard time keeping up with. The Ant's limbs tore off, piece-by-piece, and sword blades stuck out of his chest and stomach. Blood splattered everywhere, splashing in all directions like a boat crashing into water.

The barrage stopped.

Shaiapouf managed to stay afloat for one second. His butterfly-like wings were ripped like tissue paper. Then, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he collapsed.

The swords vanished, but the wounds did not. He _splat_ onto the top of the Capitol building's walls, mere meters away from where Killua was.

The Zoldyck was fully expecting to play a game of tag, which he knew he could win thanks to unlocking his new ability. But...it seems as if he might not have needed it.

 _No_ , he quickly concluded. _Stay on guard. I have no idea what that energy was. For all I know, it could be a new enemy._

The torrent of light vanished, and a single man remained, floating in the air, slowly making his way towards the body of Pouf.

"My...King…" He uttered. A moment later, a golden boot stepped over his windpipe.

"Oh? Your vocal cords are still in working order, I see?" The blonde man gave a look of indifference. From one look, he was able to deduce all of Shaiapouf's abilities, but it seemed as if he employed none of it when he had attacked him. "Pitiful mongrel. Your species is quite definitely the definition of a worm trying to crawl its way to the surface. Well, may I remind you of who the true King here is?"

A singular, golden portal appeared above the man's head, and he released a sword unto the Ant.

The blade severed his neck in two.

It was only then that Shaiapouf's body completely stopped moving.

Killua froze. He assumed any sudden movements would spell his death. And his guess was likely right, as the man's head slowly turned towards him.

As he approached the Zoldyck, Killua got a better view of his appearance. He had spiked-up, Golden hair and crimson eyes, his skin peachy and fair. All around the King's body seemed to be Golden armor, which was emanating a strange energy he couldn't get his finger around…

Bisky had taught him and Gon all they had to know about Nen, but this man had no speck of the life force he was aware of. Instead, all Killua felt...was a pressure.

"I see you are a human." The man spoke. "Do you know who you're in the presence of, Mongrel?"

"..." Killua quickly deduced what the right thing to say would be. Of course, he had no idea of the man's identity. But he had a feeling he was _expected_ to know…

"How should I know?" He gave a somewhat snarky response. "You after this girl too?"

"Hmph." The man scoffed. It was clear that this world did not know of his name. Like the man he had slaughtered moments earlier, he found this child a waste of energy to speak to.

But unlike that man, Killua wasn't threatening anyone's life, but rather trying to protect one to the best of his abilities. "I'll give credit where credit is due." He stated. "Protect that woman with your life, ensure her safety and escape from this place. I can assure you, in the coming moments, I will not care for any other life here but my own."

Killua took that as a warning. Something _bad_ was about to go down. Judging by how easily the man had taken apart a Royal Guard, he had to guess that he was most likely on the level of their boss.

He would find Gon, then find Morel and escape as fast as possible. _Knov's escape routes should do the trick..._ Killua thought.

He nodded at the golden man, even as he failed to acknowledge him, and quickly sprinted away.

Now, the King of Heroes took notice of the horizon afar. He couldn't sense them, but rather knew they were coming thanks to his ability to See the Deep. In a few moments, he would lay his eyes on this world's strongest warrior.

* * *

"You seem to be struggling, Pouf."

Throughout his flight, the King could tell something had happened with his subordinate. Pouf had told him previously that the tiny body he was in now was only a small part of himself- the other parts were back at their Nest, where he was tasked with holding the fort.

But now, Pouf felt a _huge_ part of himself get ripped away, torn asunder. The King, by proxy, likely felt this discrepancy too. "I…" He struggled to get words out of his mouth. At this point, finding that woman became a second priority.

The first was, and will always be, the King's safety. He had encountered a man _so_ unreasonably powerful. He had surpassed him in power, and likely passed up Youpi and Pitou in their primes, as well. All things considered, the man was most certainly the single biggest threat to the King in this world; the man that had fought Meruem previously didn't even come close.

"...There's...a threat at the castle, my King." He said, finally. "It...killed me. Most of me."

"Oh?" Meruem raised a brow. He had lost a lot of his memories, but the remembrance of his name kept him sane for now. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't anyone in the whole planet who could reach the Royal Guards' level, much less his own. And yet, here Pouf was. "Greater than my previous battle?"

"Y-Yes…" Pouf said. He had lost _lots_ of his energy reviving the King, and he had lost another vast amount to that mysterious, golden man. He hated to admit it, but he was running on fumes. "The man you fought before...I saw him for a brief moment. He...does not compare."

"I see." Meruem's eyes narrowed. "You seem to be speaking the truth. But I'll be the judge of this mystery man's strength, Pouf."

From there, his purple wings stopped flapping, and his aura lessened as he hovered in mid-air. "Let go, you two." He said to his subordinates. Youpi and Pouf did as they were told. "I'll face this man myself. I don't know if he can bring back my memories or not...but if he is issuing a challenge, I must face it."

" _If you are issuing a challenge, my King, then I must face it!"_

A flash of a board with pieces on it echoed in his mind. Then, as soon as it appeared, it vanished.

"..." Meruem said no words as he zoomed off, at speeds that neither of the royal guard could comprehend.

"My King…" Pouf uttered. _Please...survive._

* * *

The wasteland started to flatten out, and in the distance, Meruem took notice of the place he claimed as home.

The East Gorteau Capital. Out front seemed to be hundreds upon thousands of humans, all standing blankly and unmoving, as if all under some sort of mental spell. Webs and egg-like objects were attached to trees in the front garden, and multiple craters and crumbling rock ruined the otherwise pristine architecture.

Those were the least of Meruem's problems, however.

An _impossibly_ strong pressure, rivaling his own, emanated from the edge of one of the walls. When he gazed further and concentrated his vision, he focused on the silhouette causing it.

Under the moonlight, the man's golden armor lustered and glinted. His red eyes stared directly back at the King's, surprising Meruem just a tad. He appeared to be sitting upon a golden throne, his arm leaning against one of the armrests and holding his head up, almost like he was bored.

He approached closer, getting within a couple hundred meters. From here, he could also make out the corpse of Pouf's body, with blue blood dripping down the walls.

He could also sense many other noticeable energies within the building, but they were almost being drowned out by this man, as if he was the only one that he wanted Meruem to notice.

A heartbeat later, Meruem found himself face-to-face with him. To assert his dominance in the exchange early on, Meruem floated a meter or two above him.

Palpable tension tightened between the two of them. It went on for several seconds, with Meruem giving a menacing glare, and the Golden King giving nothing but a neutral gaze.

"You better have a good explanation for slaughtering my Royal Guard." Meruem stated, clearly and succinctly. He obviously knew Pouf was alive, but this man had still slaughtered a large portion of the Guard's life force.

"I have but one." The man replied, stepping off his throne and floating in the air. Interestingly, the seat he was once in vanished in a flash of light. "He looked away from my presence. That is tantamount to treason, and thus, I killed him."

Meruem tilted his head. His response puzzled the King like no other. "Treason? That would imply he worked for you. That is not the case. He is under my jurisdiction, and thus you have slaughtered one of my own."

"Hmph." The Golden King looked unperturbed by the aura radiating off of Meruem. It was clear it was some sort of malicious intent, but he had seen enough of that in his time. Eyeing down Marduk himself was no easy feat for any mortal- but of course, he was above mere humans. "That's where you have it wrong. All of the world is my garden. The people and the things they create are no exception to that rule. Neither are the plants in nature, or the... _bugs_ that crawl along the ground. All of it...belongs to me."

"Which brings me to my main point." He snapped his finger, and a golden chalice with wine appeared in his hand as he took a drink. "I am Gilgamesh, humanity's oldest King. All legends, all heroic deeds that you have read about, all stem from me. Now...what of you, _Chimera Ant?"_

He materialized his Throne again in mid-air, sitting upon it and drinking his wine as he opened up the floor to Meruem.

"..." Meruem looked at his hand. Gilgamesh's question provoked his mind to work again as he tried to pull together his lost memories.

...It wasn't any use. And thus, he only had one response. "My name is Meruem, King of the Chimera Ants."

"...Is that all?" Gilgamesh tilted his head in genuine curiosity. "Have you no pride for your position? Are you the ruler of your people? Then _act_ like it."

"..."

No. He felt something cracking. He felt a great dam in his mind that was cracking before an ever greater lake.

Gilgamesh looked back at the hundreds of thousands of people behind him. "Are these mongrels not your people, Meruem?" He said, "Is your task not to rule with utmost power, to take over the world? Is that not your birthright as King of the Ants?"

... _Yes...I feel it…_

" _Meruem..."_

"My name...is Meruem…"

" _It means...the light that illuminates all…"_

"And I will...take over…!" His face was clutched in his hands at this point. Gilgamesh only watched in amusement as Meruem began to finally remember his past.

Not with that girl.

But as a King.

" **THE WORLD!"**

His Ren _exploded,_ expanding his aura to massive degrees. Gilgamesh himself had to shield his body a little with an extra coating of mana to fend off the pressure as Meruem stopped holding back.

However, the King of Heroes was not intimidated. Rather, this was the outcome he expected.

"Now that I've awakened your true status as King, then I shall test to see if you are worthy of keeping it!" Gilgamesh exclaimed. He had to admit, the power that Meruem was releasing was highly impressive to him. In the back of his mind, he wondered if it could rival Enkidu's…

But for now, he focused solely on his fellow King. "I know what you represent, Meruem. You represent the Chimera Ants, no, more than that. You represent Nature itself, fighting against Humanity for progressing too far, and threatening all other forms of life."

Meruem's violet aura and icy cold glare never wavered as Gilgamesh spoke.

" _I_ am the pinnacle of humanity! You could call me the amalgamation, and yet the beginning, of Humanity itself! And as such, I will not allow you to limit humanity's growth into the future!"

 _Otherwise, you're nothing more than the Gods that killed my best friend._ Gilgamesh omitted that last part.

"You desire to take over the world, Mongrel? Then I will be there to stop your advance. If you want to fulfill your race's dreams, then face me. King-to-King."

…

That moment of silence, like when they first met, came over the battlefield again.

And with the smallest of remarks, it snapped in two.

"Gladly."

He was a blur. Nearly unseeable, with _nearly_ being the operative word. Thanks to Gilgamesh's clairvoyance, he knew the exact moment when Meruem would attack. Tightening his gaze, the King of Heroes opened a portal directly behind his head.

With Meruem's immense speed, he zipped across the battlefield at speeds that could be described as lightning, immediately manifesting behind Gilgamesh and going for his obvious weak spot: the head.

But of course, the Golden King would not fall so easily. With a smirk, the King's Treasure revealed itself, and Meruem's tail collided with a shield.

Meruem turned, puzzled to feel metal instead of flesh, but he had no time to respond to what had just happened.

Lights appeared all around him, in all angles. It was like all the stars in the sky all simultaneously became as close as the sun, turning the area immediately around him into day.

He looked up and around, and golden, circular gates appeared, and within the center of each was a weapon. Currently, there must have been dozens all pointed at him.

Gate of Babylon. The King's Treasure. The power that symbolized his ownership of all things in the world, and how all Legends and Myths stem from his own.

They all surrounded the Chimera Ant King like moons around a planet- and all simultaneously crashed towards the surface.

A deep, guttural explosion of energy sent shockwaves through East Gorteau. At that second, the weaker Chimera Ants stopped everything they were doing and cowered in fear. Morel immediately ran towards Knov's evacuation point, and Killua stumbled as the tremors shook the earth itself, even kilometers away from the epicenter.

Gilgamesh watched from afar, floated up several meters above the explosion, watching with a tinge of disinterest. He knew that the King would not fall so easily to an attack like that- for Gilgamesh, that was nothing but a lovetap.

"Is that all you have?"

And of course, Meruem also felt as if it was the same. The King's Aura shrouded his body. It didn't even seem like the swords or the explosions had reached his skin, but rather the aura around his body had guarded him.

"Pouf said that your power rivals mine. If that is your limit, then he is much more than dead wrong." Meruem's voice cut to the quick, avoiding any lengthy explanations like this fellow King seemed to like to do.

"Oh ho ho...your confidence seems to have spiked!" Gilgamesh shot back. "But I assure you, King of Chimera Ants, that was not intended to kill you."

"...Oh?" Meruem was, once again, confused. Thanks to Gilgamesh, he had regained huge portions of his memories, the most notable being his fight against Netero. Early on, it was made clear that Netero tried the hardest he possibly could to defeat Meruem, while the King was restricted from murdering him until he learned of his own name.

Meruem barely got to use a quarter of his strength, and here he was even further than that. Even worse, Netero was intent on killing from the start.

But Gilgamesh wasn't. He was..gauging him. "You're testing my powers rather than trying to kill me outright?"

"Of course." The King of Heroes agreed. "What's a battle without some fanfare? This is a war between Kings, and I argue we should create an ever-growing spectacle...unless of course, you _want_ me to reveal all my power this early on?"

Meruem's eyes narrowed. "Like your arrogance would allow that."

"Hmph. Saw right through me, did you?" Gilgamesh smirked. "Of course, I have no intention of fighting you with my fullest capabilities, yet. Prove to me your worth, and I will reveal my greatest treasure-!"

Like a cobra, Meruem's hand struck fast, and deadly, aimed towards Gilgamesh's midsection. Between the time it takes to blink, Gilgamesh found himself slammed into the dirt, and dragged across several dozen meters of soil just from the force of the hit alone.

And a blink later, Gilgamesh regained composure, digging in his heels and standing back upright as he started flying backwards as fast as his body would allow. A moment later, he saw the green body of Meruem charge him, nothing but malice in his eyes.

_This mongrel...cutting me off mid-sentence-!_

As he flew backwards, he produced several Gates all around himself, targeting Meruem as he soared towards the King of Heroes. Spears and swords spat out from the portals like gatling guns, and at terrifyingly fast speeds.

But Meruem could easily make out their trajectories. With one hand, he slapped the weapons away, shattering the metal into pieces as they fell onto the dirt. _These weapons...they're nothing._ He thought. _Less than nothing. Unless Pouf wasn't using Nen, there shouldn't have been any way he-_

A sword broke through his Ren, and collided against his forearm.

To his surprise, a crack appeared in his exoskeleton. _What?_

Not to lose his pressure on his opponent, he swiped the sword away and kept moving.

_How did that sword manage to damage me? Nothing else was able to…_

Of course, he reached a conclusion fast. _His weapons are all of different quality. So far, he must have been shooting at me with weak ones and decided to summon stronger…_

His theory was made clear, as the next barrage of swords came. Meruem instantly recognized the difference in pressure coming off of them, as well as the fact that they looked a bit more ornate.

_Clearly, he's not showing me his hand._

In battle, one fights their opponent not just physically, but mentally as well. In this case, Meruem was trying to figure out the way that Gilgamesh fights, and thus find a way to exploit it.

It became clear, early on, that Gilgamesh's unconscious bias is to never fight at full strength, _unless_ the opponent he's facing is strong enough for him to pull out all the stops.

Thus, beating him was easy: seem weaker than you actually are, then attack fast enough that he can't counter.

A simple, yet effective strategy. Use his own hubris against him.

The two Kings dashed through the wasteland, now far away from East Gorteau. Based on his knowledge of the small continent, they were still a couple hundred kilometers from the ocean.

But, judging by how fast they were traveling, they'd reach the edge within the hour.

Meruem sped forward, his wings, borrowed from his Royal Guards, now sprouted out of his back to help his buoyancy as he gained on Gilgamesh. The biggest weakness on the King of Heroes' body was the head; if he got that, in any way, this fight would be immediately over.

More and more gates opened up, but all Meruem had to do to defend against them was strengthen his _Ren_ , which provided adequate protection. As the countless swords approached, they bounced off of his skin like rubber as his aura strengthened his body further.

 _Tch_. Gilgamesh knew that Meruem was gaining on him, not just in the physical, but the mental battle.

He closed his eyes. What was the best route to victory?

Within a moment, he found it. A move that would catch Meruem off guard, but he'd have to do it quickly.

Now, he was within arm's reach. The King reached out his hand, aiming to grab Gilgamesh by the head and crush it like an apple.

A portal appeared, _right_ next to Meruem, and a red spear began protruding out. Instantly, Meruem stepped off and retreated as it _shot_ from the gate at blinding speeds, much faster than the previous weapons that Gilgamesh had fired.

The King of Heroes took advantage of the fact that Meruem had to change his speeds- meaning that, just for a moment, his speed halted as he tried accelerating the other direction. In that instant, it could allow a weapon to get through his guard and outrun him.

And that's _exactly_ what happened. With no room to dodge, Meruem blocked the spear with his forearm, using _Ryu_ to put 90% of his aura on his arm alone.

"!"

But it didn't matter. The spear _struck_ right into his exoskeleton, ignoring the impregnable defense of not only his hyper-durable skin, but the defense of _Ryu_.

The barbed-tip dug into his arm, and while Meruem didn't show any outward discomfort, pain shot all throughout his body. It was enough that Meruem had to stop his chase, causing Gilgamesh to slow as well.

Without a changing expression, Meruem _ripped_ the spear right out of his body and threw it aside.

"Gae Bolg." Gilgamesh said. "The spear that strikes with death. You were lucky to block it with your arm, Mongrel. If you didn't, it would have wrought unhealable wounds to your vital organs. Once it hits you, there's no way to defend against it."

Meruem didn't change his look, but he was confused as to why Gilgamesh keeps going on about all the weapons he has. _Is he really that confident that he would tell me exactly what these weapons do?_

He looked at the injury Gae Bolg had made. It was a deep gash through his forearm, and blood spewed from both sides of his arm. From what the King of Heroes had said, it would stay like this.

"Hmph." Meruem paid no mind. He didn't expect to feel pain from getting stabbed by that spear- he deduced it must have been a special feature of the weapon, rather than his own physical intolerance. He had cut off his own arm once without paying any mind, after all.

What he was more cautious of now, was any weapon that is similar to Gae Bolg. Since he has no idea what's coming out of that vault, he had to be more aware. _I'll have to actively evade from now on, rather than blocking or parrying._

Once more, Gae Bolg had completely ignored his Nen defenses- meaning that if Gilgamesh used it again, he would have to stop it before it came close. He had a feeling that Gilgamesh would not let it strike just his arm again.

A second after Gilgamesh stopped his monologuing, Meruem struck once more, running straight for him. Unexpectedly, Gilgamesh did not run, but _charged_ the same as him.

Not expecting this change in development, Meruem went in all the same. _If his logic is to get into a close-range fight with me...it will spell his end._

As they got within arm's reach, a new weapon revealed itself as Gilgamesh pulled it from his vault. Seeing him reach for the weapon, Meruem instantly fired his fist at his enemy's elbow, aiming to shatter the arm and render it useless. After that, he would aim his tail at Gilgamesh's face, and finish him off from there-

-He suddenly jumped up into the air as his En sensed multiple threats around his body. Gazing downward, he spotted it instantly: multiple golden axes, spinning around haphazardly and, unlike the other weapons, still giving chase if he tried to dodge.

If he was too focused on his plan, he would have been snagged instantly by those things. Meruem glared at those axes, accelerating into supersonic speeds, but they still would not cease trying to run him down.

 _What a pain._ Meruem thought. If he kept trying to evade, he would lose sight of what Gilgamesh is doing. Even if he could sense him with his _En_ , the fact that he couldn't do anything to stop Gilgamesh was the issue.

So, he only had one solution. He extended his right arm, and a mass of purple expanded on his skin.

Menthuthuyoupi's _Rage Incarnate,_ now wielded by him. _I'll eradicate it in one blow._

The charge time only took a second.

Meruem stopped his movement, and the axes nearly collided into his body, but-

An _impossibly loud_ roar of power and energy boomed from the King's hand, releasing a massive torrent of pure, white-hot aura that _slammed_ into the weapons. Tremors shook that land once again as Meruem's own _Rage Incarnate_ , which was quite possibly dozens of times the strength of Youpi's, shot a beam of light past the horizon.

They were durable, but definitely not unbreakable, and Meruem would no longer take any chances.

He was caught off guard with the Gae Bolg, and thus would assure that no weapon would touch his body.

He only had to release energy for a few seconds, until he was certain the axes had melted away. When the light faded, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Have fun destroying those legendary Axes, Mongrel?"

A voice from above boomed. Meruem had sensed Gilgamesh take to the skies as those chains chased him around. But when he looked up…

_Those aren't stars…_

Every single yellow dot he saw in the sky wasn't a star, but a Gate. There weren't dozens, but hundreds; hell, there may have very well been _thousands,_ and Gilgamesh was still producing more.

"I'll give you credit where credit is due! You managed to defeat those homing Axes, something not even the greatest Knight of the Round Table could accomplish with ease. So, here's your reward."

Without wasting time, the King _shot_ towards his fellow King as fast as he could, not wanting to let him have any more advantages.

But he came too late. Before he got halfway there, a football-field's length away, the barrage began. Every single Gate glinted, and countless weapons rained down from Heaven.

Meruem's eyes widened at the impossibly large number of threats coming towards him. It was much worse than Zeno's _Dragon Dive-_ in fact, Zeno's Nen Ability didn't even come close. Not only was each individual weapon more powerful, they were more numerous, _and_ they homed in on Meruem.

Meruem instantly analyzed the air, trying to deduce any holes in the trajectories of the thousands of weapons. Just like his fight with Netero, he was trying to thread the needle: the one, small possibility within the boundless undesirable outcomes.

The swords finally reached him, and Meruem dodged sideways, redirecting any weapons with the sheer pressure of his aura alone, and evading any weapons that got past that guard. He had to continually take into account the swords close, and those approaching; evading ones that were close while preparing for weapons that were coming.

From afar, the barrage of countless weapons was an impossible sight to behold…

* * *

...Literally.

As the Kings' struggle went on into the minutes, Killua Zoldyck carried Gon's mangled body out of the forest. Pitou was finished, dead by Gon's own hands, by a power that Killua could only fathom by the fact that Nen Contracts exist.

 _He must have given up everything...to defeat her..._ Killua thought.

As he cleared the last of the trees, however, and looked upon the wasteland… "That's...not possible."

He saw what seemed to be countless stars in the sky, raining down medieval and ancient weapons like thunderbolts. At a singular point, one figure seemed to be fighting against it, slowly attempting to climb their way up into the heavens.

Killua had to lay Gon down as he watched what was happening. Never in his life has he seen such invariable power be unleashed, and he had just seen Gon go berserk less than ten minutes ago.

It was, quite easily, the most insane display of ability. No other Nen Ability he's seen even comes close. That energy that he sensed in the forest a few days ago- which unbeknownst to him, was Netero's- doesn't come close to comparing.

 _That...isn't a battle of Nen Users…_ Killua thought as he picked up Gon again, re-affirming his mission to take him to safety. _It's a battle of Gods._

* * *

The struggle lasted for minutes, but in battle, minutes can be an eternity. Much like Netero's _100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva,_ Meruem constantly had to deal with threats constantly approaching him, at all times.

Unlikes Netero and Meruem, who unleashed a thousand blows within a minute...this was tenfold that. Maybe twentyfold.

It was at speeds that are impossible for a normal human to calculate, but Meruem was far above a normal human. He was constantly crunching numbers in his mind, formulating the best possible route to the top.

And of course, Gilgamesh stood, unmoving, as he emptied out his limitless Gate of Babylon at Meruem. He had no such worry of running out; it took seven days to empty out his vault against Enkidu, and the two of them were constantly fighting at this rate, pretty much all the time, night and day. And besides, he possessed a Noble Phantasm that returns his items back into his vault.

The time hit about ten minutes, and surprisingly, Gilgamesh noticed progress. Within the hour, Meruem would most certainly catch up to him. _Hmph._

He opened up a Gate next to him, just in case it came to that.

Meanwhile, Meruem still continued to fly upwards, zig-zagging at angles impossible for normal aircraft, and at G-forces that would shatter a human skull into paste. The ground beneath them was riddled in countless craters, no weapons thanks to them vanishing back into his vault, only to be recycled back out.

Meruem considered using _Rage Incarnate_ to blast away all the weapons, but he did not know the durability of the weapons that came down, or their properties. Even if he used it, he wasn't sure if some would just ignore his Nen like the Gáe Bolg, and still barrel down towards him. That lack of information that allowed Gilgamesh the advantage.

Meruem's _Photon En_ could solve that problem, however, every time he tried to read the King of Heroes' mind, even from the beginning, it seemed like there was a force that was holding Meruem back from doing so.

That being, Gilgamesh's C rank Magic Resistance, coupled with his A rank Magic Resistance on his armor. Thanks to a certain all-knowing Deity, she allowed Gilgamesh to see Nen without being able to use it, and also for Magecraft and its properties to interact with Nen.

And thus, lots of Meruem's Nen Abilities, Gilgamesh is resistant to.

"This is a perfect representation of our places in the hierarchy!" Gilgamesh said aloud, loud enough so Meruem could hear his taunts. "A species that lives in the dirt, trying to claw its way to the heavens, where I sit. Do you really think I'd let you reach this zenith, Mongrel? You belong back in the ground, from whence you came!"

It was then that Meruem knew it was time. _Like I said...hubris is his downfall._

In a heartbeat, a massive flash of light came from Meruem's location, giving Gilgamesh pause, even as the barrage of weapons continued.

 _Photon En_ had another use aside from being able to read one's emotions.

And that other use…

"You like to run your mouth, King of Heroes."

...Caused Meruem to appear right next to Gilgamesh.

Unlike with Netero's fight, finding the needle to thread through wasn't necessarily about the physical effort of finding a gap between the barrage of swords, but rather, a gap in his opponent's judgment.

Once Gilgamesh declared he was above Meruem, the King knew for a fact that Gilgamesh was underestimating what he was capable of. Thus, even the massive barrage of a thousand swords a second wasn't close to his full strength.

And thus, Meruem would pull out his trump card before Gilgamesh drew his: _Photon En_ , when fully released, allows Meruem to travel to his target at seemingly light-speed.

From there, bypassing the countless rain of weapons was easy, as everything in Meruem's perspective was as if time had halted.

Now, right next to Gilgamesh, his straight-laced gaze never wavered as his right arm glowed purple and expanded.

"!"

 _Rage Incarnate_ fired once more, this time point-blank at the King of Heroes.

The oncoming wave of pure white energy ripped through the atmosphere and split the clouds. It _tore_ through the air supersonically, growing larger in width than a skyscraper.

At that moment, all of the countless Gates that Gilgamesh had assembled vanished at once.

Earthquakes rumbled across NGL, collapsing nearby buildings and flattening trees. Any humans and Ants remaining ducked for cover as the second beam of light for that night flew towards a large rock formation, slamming into it and blowing it asunder.

The light faded, after several moments of tension. Meruem fully expected Gilgamesh to not survive.

But the King, at that moment, let his face twitch.

Gilgamesh stood, a football field's length or more away, his head being covered by his arms. His armor was steaming, and looked damaged, but his actual body was likely sufficiently protected.

When the King of Heroes lowered his arms, Meruem took note that his hair collapsed, now simply falling around his head. A stream of blood fell across his face, and there were small burns all across his body, it seemed, but nothing that would elicit serious injury.

If Meruem had to compare, the attack he just fired out was similar to how he had reacted to Netero's _Zero Hand_ : shaken up a little, but by no means seriously wounded.

After a moment of breathing, Gilgamesh gained his composure back. "That light...you could compare that attack to some of the most powerful swords of legend, like Balmung. You, however, did not have to release a True Name."

Meruem said no words to his compliments. The only reason why he wasn't going for a kill was because he, at the very least, respected the fact that Gilgamesh was able to survive an attack that anyone else, even his Royal Guards, would have been turned to cinders from.

"I misjudged you earlier, King of Chimera Ants." The King of Heroes announced as his body began to glow. Now that his armor was at its limit, there was no need to wear it anymore. It hindered his movements, anyway.

The top of his armor disappeared in a flash of light, showing his lean but toned muscles underneath, paired with symbolic red tattoos that streaked along his body. "You are much more powerful than I gave you credit for. I'd even go so far as to say you've made me push myself."

At this point, Meruem thought it rude to simply say nothing. "You are a warrior of note as well, King of Humanity."

Gilgamesh raised a brow at what Meruem called him: _King of Humanity._ Perhaps, by what he described himself as, that was also an apt title.

And, considering which sides they represented, it made sense as well. Humanity versus Nature. Man versus Beast. These two Kings were the pinnacle of their opposing sides, and thus it was only natural that they came to blows.

"When I kill you, I assure you that I won't disrespect your corpse." Meruem continued. "You are one worthy of praise: a mere human fighting me for this long deserves praise, in any case."

"You make many assumptions, King of Chimera Ants." A Gate appeared right at Gilgamesh's side again. He was planning on using it just in case Meruem got too close like before, but had no time to draw it thanks to his _Photon En._ "Both on the account that you'll kill me…"

The sword emerged from the Gate, similar in appearance to Caliburn, but at the same time different, as if more ancient. A radiant aura shone from its blade. "...And that I'm a mere human."

"Hmph. I will be the judge of your claims, King of Heroes."

In a flash, Meruem shot towards Gilgamesh again, his hand aimed directly for Gilgamesh's head. At the same moment, the blond King pointed his blade at Meruem.

"Pass Judgment on his Sins! _MERODACH!_ "

Greater than the light from twice before, a radiant beam of energy from the Sword of Original Sin blasted forth, turning the night into day.

Similar to the _Sword of Promised Victory,_ Merodach's True Name release only took a fraction of a moment at most, allowing for the light to fire incredibly fast, catching even Meruem off guard.

Meruem instantly recognized that that blade's power surpasses his highest output of _Rage Incarnate,_ and thus put 100% of his Aura into protecting his body as he ate the blast head-on. Dodging was out of the question: the beam of light traveled too fast and expanded too wide for his body to move in time.

The heat of _Merodach_ was instantly felt on his exoskeleton, even after fully protecting himself with _Ken._ His travel speed slowed to a crawl as he expanded his Aura even more, releasing as much Nen as possible as the _Divine Thaumaturgy_ blasted out from the blade and burned past his body.

At this point, it had been settled: Gilgamesh was the strongest opponent that Meruem had ever faced. Netero's Zero Hand wasn't nearly on the level of the constant burn that Merodach has, and if Meruem didn't put up Nen defenses, like he failed to do when Netero triggered the Poor Man's Rose, he would have equally been turned to a charred corpse.

His _Photon En_ trick would not work like before, since that requires shooting out photons that have his aura on them. But as soon as he released his aura, they'd be burned to nothing by Merodach's unfathomable energy.

But here, putting all of his will and might into protecting his body, he managed to slowly edge his way towards Gilgamesh.

"...What?" Gilgamesh spoke aloud. He could feel it, even from here. Despite Merodach's great heat, Meruem was managing to move through the insane energy. _That...should be nearly impossible…_

Merodach was the prototype for the sword _Gram_ , which in turn was the prototype for _Caliburn._ That makes it an insanely powerful ancient sword that surpasses the great Dragon-slaying blades like _Balmung._ Its only real surpassers being high-level Divine Constructs, like Excalibur, but even so he did not figure Meruem would be fighting against _this_.

But of course, Gilgamesh also doesn't know the power of _Nen_ , and its intricate and powerful components. One of which, being _Ken_ : an advanced defensive technique that uses Aura to protect the user from harm. Meruem pumped as much Aura as he could to protect himself, since as much as he was putting in, the divine light from Merodach was burning it away.

But even now, they were once again at an impasse. One of them had to make a move.

And that move was made by…

* * *

At this point, the entire world was watching this battle of Kings.

It was approaching 1:30 AM, exactly ninety minutes since the humans' raid on the East Gorteau capital. In that one hour, an impossible number of events took place.

Zeno's Dragons rained upon the sky, causing enough distraction for the Royal Guards to be separated.

Menthuthuyoupi faced many of the ground team, with Gon and Killua passing him up to face the one who killed Kite.

Shaiapouf battled Morel to a standstill, until Youpi's Rage Incarnate broke him out of the smoke trap.

Neferpitou eventually faced Gon, and it cost her her life.

Meruem battled Netero, and nearly died from a Poor Man's Rose if it weren't for Youpi and Pouf giving their life energy, he would have died. But as a reincarnated King, he returned to his Capital to regain his memories-

-Only to face an opponent no one expected: the one who calls himself the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.

Within Knov's _4th Dimensional Mansion,_ the humans who took part of the Ant Extermination watched on using Palm's Nen Ability, which she accessed through becoming a Chimera Ant. It allows her to see the last three people that she gazed upon with her right eye simultaneously- and lucky enough for them, she had gotten a glimpse of the Golden King and Meruem before Knov had her escape into his Mansion.

Now, all they could do was rely on Palm's indications to check if they were okay.

None of them knew where this man came from. None of them knew why he was as strong as the King, who by Palm's accounts, was likely even stronger than before he faced Netero.

"This is all…" Knov sat against the blank walls of his mansion, his expression looking hopeless, and confused. His body had aged several decades thanks to being exposed to one of the Royal Guards' En, and that had effectively taken him out of the main invasion entirely; only being useful for reconnaissance. "This is all crazy...what even is that man? Some sort of weird Angel? A ghost? Is he a Nen User that we, for some reason, have never heard of before?"

"And from what I can tell, the man doesn't seem to be a Chimera Ant." Palm guessed. "He slaughtered the Royal Guards and is fighting the King. If he were a Chimera Ant, he would be subservient to Meruem."

"No, he's definitely _not_ one of us." Ikalgo cut in. "Definitely not! If he _was_ , then he'd at the very least be a fellow King, but I'm pretty sure the Queen only birthed _one_ King that day."

"Hmph." Morel sighed. He was injured as well. At this point, their job was done. If this man was some sort of grace sent by God, then he'd take it. After Netero's disappearance, he knew that that mysterious, Golden King was humanity's last hope.

There wasn't anyone else in the world who could face Meruem. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if that man hadn't appeared.

 _Subjugation of humanity, I'd bet._ He thought in his head internally anyway. _Some of us carted away as food...others as soldiers._

…

He looked up at the blank ceiling. "Insanity." Was all he could fathom to speak at that point. He had been a Hunter for years, but not once has he felt the pressure of such monsters before.

He just hoped that one of those monsters was on their side.

* * *

"His Majesty…" Pouf and Youpi watched on, as the _massive_ torrent of light from Gilgamesh's Merodach lit up the night sky like a Supernova.

In the Royal Guard's eyes, the King was the pinnacle of their existence. No other being even came close to what Meruem was. He was their leader, their savior, the one that would save the Chimera Ants and finally have their species take up their rightful place as the zenith of existence.

He was, for all intents and purposes, their god.

So if their god falls…they fall.

"His Majesty...he can't lose…" Pouf said aloud, his tiny body welling up with tears. Youpi watched on as well, watching as the light shone across the skies and ripped past the horizon. "He's...our invincible King…"

"He won't lose, Pouf." Youpi put a tiny hand on Pouf's tiny shoulder. "You saw what the King survived before. If he can survive a nuclear explosion, he can survive something like that."

"I understand, Youpi." Pouf said. "But...that seems _stronger_ than the bomb that that dastardly human used...that man in general, he's…"

Youpi nodded. "He's stronger than even us. I wouldn't be surprised if he can take down you, me _and_ Pitou all at once back when we were at our peaks. But don't sell our King short. Like you've said before...nothing can break him."

Pouf nodded. That was really all the reassurance he needed at that moment. With a cry of desperation, the Butterfly-winged Ant yelled:

"KING MERUEM, _DON'T LOSE!_ "

* * *

_And that move was made by…_

"HRAAAAHHHH!"

At that moment, Meruem used _Ryu_ to change his aura: 30% on the head, 30% on his right arm, which he was preparing to fire a massive _Rage Incarnate_ the second he emerged from Merodach's blast, 20% on his feet to propel him many times faster than before, and 20% across the rest of his body.

The second he used Ryu, he felt his exoskeleton literally begin to melt from the sheer heat being released by the holy blade. For the first time, the King felt immense pain that he could not simply suppress; his mouth was wide as he let out a war cry that could be equated to a roar of desperation, and rage.

Rage that maybe, _just_ maybe, he wasn't the greatest in the world. That, in fact, someone was out there that surpassed him.

 _Why..._ Meruem thought as he shot his way through the fiery flames of Merodach. _Why does that sound so familiar?!_

Someone he couldn't beat. Someone who was beyond him, no matter what he tried. Their sheer dominance in the game they played nearly unfathomable to even him.

It was on the tip of his tongue.

A beat later, and Meruem's arm emerged from the light of Merodach, dangerously close to the King of Heroes.

"WHAT?!" Gilgamesh roared in absolute shock. _Now_ , if he wasn't before, Meruem had surpassed his expectations. Merodach's beam started to falter as Meruem's body became fully in-view.

The King's body, for the first time in his entire life, was _seriously_ injured. Burns and cracks to his skin, open wounds being seared shut were the only things that kept him conscious at that moment.

But now, he was _this_ close to finishing this battle. In a game of chess, it was like he was one move away from checkmate, even after all of his other pieces had fallen.

With a roar once more, the King of Chimera Ants reached out his right arm, and _Rage Incarnate_ boiled into existence. Gilgamesh's eyes widened; without his armor, another shot was fatal.

It would activate in the space of _one_ second. That's how fast _Rage Incarnate_ was.

Gilgamesh took a leap back, while Meruem's open palm started gathering his Aura together, condensing it into a sphere that would wipe its target off the face of the Earth.

...And like that, the clash was decided.

Chains tightened around Meruem's body. His tail, arms, legs, and torso were all restrained by silver links with a golden tip. Several Gates around him were opened, ensnaring him within Gilgamesh's final card.

If both were nearly all out of pieces, this move was like Gilgamesh moving a pawn to the opposite side, turning them to a Queen.

Gilgamesh finally took a breath. At that moment, he felt gratefulness to his late friend, who had protected him to the end once more. But before that...he truly saw the face of death.

Meruem's entire being screamed bloodlust. Bloodlust...yet also confusion.

But Gilgamesh showed no remorse. Only pity.

"Enkidu." He spoke aloud. "The name of my best friend. The one who gave their life to turn mine for the better."

Meruem, at that moment, lost will to fight. The chains bound him up like a vice. Every time he moved, even slightly, they only got tighter.

But he didn't ignore the fellow King. In fact, he listened to every word Gilgamesh had to say.

 _Best...friend..._ Meruem thought. _Turned...your life...for the better…_

The King of Humanity continued. "If I had to tell you the truth, Meruem, King of Chimera Ants...there was no plausible way you could win this battle."

Meruem said nothing in response.

"I possess an ability that allows me to reveal truths. About my enemy, about the future. It allows me to see the path to victory, and it will give me instructions on how to make that path a reality."

Sha Naqba Imuru. _He Who Saw the Deep._

An ability granted to the King of Heroes, that allows him to reveal truths about anything he lays his eyes on. It's how he was able to know the identity of Meruem so quickly, learn of the Chimera Ants. It gives him knowledge of a fighter's capabilities, and on the flip side, their weaknesses.

It gives him unparalleled knowledge of the future, and the method of how to achieve the future he desires.

"Meruem, the way you think, the way you fight, is all about figuring out the opponent's rhythm, and breaking that rhythm. That truth I learned the moment I laid eyes upon you. You figure out their fighting style, their techniques, and exploit them. In a game of chess, it would be like learning one's moves, and planning ahead to disrupt their tactics."

 _A game of...chess..._ Meruem thought in his mind, that sentence being the one that stood out the most to him. _Board...games…_

"But I possess a Noble Phantasm that allows me to see the path to victory, no matter what. You read the flow of the game, I read the correct move, always. That inherent difference in the way we battle is why you have lost this match of Kings."

 _I...see..._ Meruem thought. In the end, it was just like when he had faced Netero a mere hour ago. _From the start, I had lost._ Netero had a trick up his sleeve that he was unable to foresee until it was too late.

And, just like Netero, Meruem was overcome by the sheer willpower, or maybe even _monstrosity,_ of humankind.

"But I will say, even with the path to victory always ahead of me, you tried with all of your willpower to best me. There were times when if I didn't place my move in time, you _could_ have cut off my way to win. For that, you have earned my utmost respect."

Gilgamesh backed away. Meruem slouched in the chains, and his eyes opened…

... _Why am I…_

Water fell down his face. _Why am I...crying…?_

Meruem wasn't looking, but those who witnessed this battle from afar, did.

A golden key appeared in Gilgamesh's hand, produced from his Gate of Babylon. He extended his right arm, and turned his hand holding the Key inward, slightly.

It glowed for a moment, and a sudden flash of red circuits shot from the key and into the sky, filling the air up to the clouds with a wall of crimson lines. Mana surged through each line, until they all started collapsing inwards back towards Gilgamesh.

The Key vanished, but in its place was a Gate, slowly hovering up as it revealed the weapon within.

"King of the Chimera Ants...your dream was to rule the world. You claimed it was your birthright. Your mother claimed it was your birthright. Every Chimera Ant who served under you, claimed it was your birthright. All of those Ants...all share your dream."

He grabbed the handle of the sword. A golden hilt, and a cylindrical-shaped blade with three independently spinning parts, black with red lines.

"However, a dream ends with the dreamer wakes. And now...I will awaken you from your slumber, Chimera Ant King."

"It is time. Awaken, Ea."

Meruem's vision began to clear.

_Awaken…_

And...he finally realized it.

He had lost. When he thought he was unbeatable. But Gilgamesh was not the reason why he felt this way. It was…

* * *

_A little while before..._

"A-Ah…" A white-haired girl's eyes opened, even though she couldn't see a thing. The ground was trembling as Killua ran away from the battlefield as fast as possible, with her on his back.

He was originally tasked with keeping her away from Shaiapouf, but that no longer seemed like an issue. Now, it was all about bringing her somewhere safe. After all, she was still an innocent. "W-What's that shaking…? Where...am I…?"

"Don't worry about it." Killua said. "I'm taking you somewhere safe." He wasn't lying. He'd get her as far away as possible, then pass her to someone he trusts. Then, he would double-back and see if Gon was okay.

"...Where is…" The girl uttered. "Where is...the King…?"

Killua paused internally. _Right...she…_

He breathed, and opened his eyes. "He's...fighting."

"Will he survive?"

"...I don't know."

"He...he can't die…"

Killua raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"Because...I still...have a Gungi match with him…"

* * *

The answer was in front of him all along. In his mind, he grabbed it, and he never let go.

Truly, he had awoken from his dream. His dream of ruling the world. No...his real dream was…

_One more match…_

He began pulling against the Chains of Heaven. Since he lacked any Divinity, breaking them was much easier than a Demigod. However, his burned and lacerated body made the endeavor painful nonetheless.

_One...more...match…!_

"Ko...mu…"

His eyes shot open. In one fell swoop, even with the Chains of Enkidu cutting off his usage of Nen, he shattered the links through sheer mental and physical willpower.

Instantly, he glared up at the singular man in his way of the final match. With all the strength left in his tattered body, Meruem rushed Gilgamesh with every fiber of his being. Once he got to the halfway point, the King pumped tons of Aura into his right hand, activating _Rage Incarnate_ for the final time, hoping to eliminate his enemy, once and for all!

"..."

But Gilgamesh remained unmoving. For, once again, he had foresaw this outcome.

All he had to do…

" **Enuma** …"

...was point Ea's blade.

"... **Elish**."

The Star of Creation that Split the Heavens and the Earth.

The King of Heroes' most powerful Noble Phantasm. And, in many ways, quite possibly _the_ strongest Noble Phantasm.

There was _nothing_ in this world that could resist its might.

...And Meruem was no exception.

A reality-shattering _screech_ echoed throughout the battlefield, drowning out all other sounds, and all other thoughts. On that day, in that moment, an impossibly loud roar of thunder boomed around the planet, for all to hear. It expanded far outside the reaches of the known world, reaching the Continent of Shadows beyond.

It was an attack that showed absolute authority. Unabated, relentless power.

Power that a Chimera Ant could not face.

In his final moments, Meruem thought of only one thing. His life was short, but once he got his memories back in the final seconds, he realized how fulfilling it was.

This battle was for the strong. And in many ways, Meruem had also won.

If he had only one regret…

_I wanted...one more...game…_

…

The light of Ea faded, and the cylinders representing Heaven, Earth, and Hell ceased spinning. Gilgamesh stood in solemn silence for the Ant- no, the man he had just eliminated.

He knew that, in the end, Meruem had remembered what made him human.

That was fine with him. In the end, Gilgamesh _did_ want Meruem to acknowledge his true self. Not a King. But a man with the simple desire to seek out companionship.

In many ways, Gilgamesh saw himself in Meruem. Was he to be a tyrant king, or a just ruler? In his mind, the memories of him and the Chains of Heaven walking through the cedar forests of Mesopotamia flashed. 

All it took was _one_ friend to tear down their hubris. 

At the very least, he got, through subtle word choice, Meruem to realize his true dream for himself.

But his existence, according to the Counterforce, was to end here.

The Poor Man's Bomb, in this reality, did not possess poison. And thus, Meruem would have continued living past expectations, meaning actions had to be taken to ensure his demise.

And…

Gilgamesh turned his attention to Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi. With one Gate each, they were both eliminated. He felt a tinge of shame in himself for eliminating a target when they were in grief, but a job was a job, after all.

"...It looks like my time here is finished." The King of Heroes looked at his hand, and saw himself turning into glitters in the wind. "Farewell, strange world."

And with that, the King of Heroes closed his eyes, and took his leave from this peculiar, pruned timeline. 


End file.
